Caragana sinica seed

LATIN NAME: CARAGANA SINICA

COMMON NAME: Chinese Peashrub

The Chinese peashrub peas the dense, twiggy branches with the small, pinnate leaves and the bright, yellow, pea-shaped flowers that open in the late spring, the slender pods following on the stems. The flowers cluster among the leaves, and they draw the bees from the first bloom. The shrub keeps the tidy, rounded habit, and it stands the cold, the wind, and the dry ground well. It likes the sun, and the light, well-drained soil.

Scientific Research & Plant Biotechnology

In the pea family, the caraganas have a long, practical record in the dry-land research, and the Chinese peashrub appears in the studies of the cold and drought tolerance. The research covers the nitrogen-fixing roots and the seed biology, along with the way the shrub improves the soil, while the ecologists value it for the shelter belts. The horticulturists note the yellow bloom, and the growers of the dry-land plants keep the species in their catalogues.

Ecological & Economic Value & Wide Applications

In the dry, windy garden, the Chinese peashrub holds the soil and still blooms. The yellow pea flowers feed the early bees, the dense branches give the shelter and the nesting cover for the birds, and the roots fix the nitrogen and improve the soil. It grows well in the light, well-drained, sunny ground. Tough, generous and quietly useful.

The Chinese peashrub seeds germinate in a sandy, gritty mix kept bright and cool. The seedlings spring up within a few weeks, and they grow on steadily with the fine, pinnate leaves. Plant them out into the light, well-drained, sunny ground once they are big enough, and give them the full sun. The young shrubs grow on fast, and the yellow pea flowers come within the few years.

To grow the Chinese peashrub from seed, drop the seeds singly into the sandy furrows of the shallow flat, then cover them lightly, keep the flat in the bright, cool spot and water gently. The seedlings spring up within a few weeks, and they grow on steadily. Plant the young shrubs in the sunny, light ground, and the yellow flowers will pea the branches each late spring.